Saturday's MatchUP  
September 30, 2023 | 7:00 p.m. ET   

USC Upstate (5-1-4, 2-0-0 Big South) vs. Gardner-Webb (2-7-1, 0-1-0 Big South)  
Greene-Harbison Stadium | Boiling Springs, N.C. 
 

How They Stack Up  

Record: USC Upstate (5-1-4, 2-0-0 Big South) vs. Gardner-Webb (2-7-1, 0-1-0 Big South) 

Series: USC Upstate trails the overall series 2-13-2 

Last Five Matches: Oct. 26, 2022 (UPST 0; GWU 0), Oct. 20, 2021 (UPST 0; GWU 3), Mar. 8, 2021 (UPST 2; GWU 1 [2OT]), Oct. 19, 2019 (UPST 2; GWU 3), Nov. 2, 2018 (UPST 0; GWU 1) 

Players to Watch  

Dara Russo continues to sit atop the Spartans' offensive stats with seven goals, two assists, 16 points, 36 shots, 24 shots on goal, and two game winning goals. Russo is first in the conference standings for shots, shots on goal, goals, and points. Paige Armstrong has also proved to be a contributor on offense this season with two goals, four goals, eight points, 18 shots, and eight shots on goal. Armstrong is tied for second within the conference with four assists on the season.  

Gardner-Webb goes into the match with a 2-7-1 record with wins over VMI and Allen. Megan Gettys leads the Runnin' Bulldogs offense with three goals, one game winning goal, six points, 16 shots and 10 shots on goal. Carina Leal and Lina Ullen have also tallied two goals apiece this season. Stephanie Liu has started five games in goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs and has collected 32 saves. Andrea Stampone has started four games in goal and has collected 32 saves as well.  

Last Match    

Upstate achieved its best start to conference play on Wednesday night after an astounding 4-0 shutout win over Winthrop. Russo earned her first career hat trick with two goals in the 49th minute and a final goal in the 71st minute. Ashley Finn contributed one goal in the 61st minute to help the Spartans achieve their largest win over a Big South opponent since 2018. With the help of the back line, Cora Brendle earned her second solo shutout of the season. This is the best start to conference play Upstate has had since joining the Big South and the Spartans are the only Big South team with a 2-0 start this season.  

Gardner-Webb started conference play on Wednesday against Longwood and suffered a 4-0 loss. The Lancers were able to score two goals in each half while holding the Runnin' Bulldogs to 10 shots, five on goal. Abby Clark led Gardner-Webb's offense with three shots while Megan Gettys also contributed two shots on goal. Liu started in goal for the Runnin' Bulldogs and made five saves in her 74 minutes of play. Jamie Martin subbed in for Liu and played the remaining 16 minutes. 

     
 
UP Next for the Spartans   
After playing Gardner-Webb on Saturday, the Spartans will be back on the road Wednesday evening to play the Panthers of High Point at 7:00 p.m. in North Carolina.  
  

GET INVOLVED     

Want to be a ball kid for USC Upstate Soccer? Kids ages 10 and up can help the Spartans all season long by retrieving game balls on the sidelines during home men's and women's soccer matches at County-University Soccer Stadium. Click here for more details.     

 
 
Connect with the Spartans   
Facebook.com/UpstateAthletics   
Twitter | @UpstateWSoccer   
Instagram | @UpstateWSoccer   
Youtube.com/UpstateSpartans   

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